While waiting for belated confirmation and comment from the official SAFC site – imminent surely – on our capture of Craig Gordon, and indeed while clinging to the hope that more news on the transfer front still lies between now and 12.45pm on Saturday, the temptation to add two more pictures from the Irish tour was irresistible.
And if you are thinking to yourself, “but I see four photographs”, you are right. There is a very good reason for the third and fourth, which I’ll come to in a second.
First things first. Pete Horan, who guided Salut! Sunderland‘s Pete Sixsmith around Ireland sent me an e-mail attaching, as he puts it, “a photo of two dummies” whereas I swear I can count four.
“The photo was taken at Galway Races on Tuesday evening where Sixer’s proven system was to put all of our money on the first race which had a runner called Mr Bones,” Pete (H) reports. “Unfortunately, Mr Bones was as slow as the ‘Flying Pig’ himself, to be sure. I took over betting responsibility after that and we made a modest recovery.”
Both Petes, and a third SAFC follower, can also be seen at the Cliffs of Moher. Look closely, says Pete (H), and you can just about make out Craggy Island in the background.
But much as I love Ireland, and especially the west of Ireland, this one is closer to my heart.
Looks innocent enough, proud grandfather Pete (H) perches nipper Dominic on knee.
But those of you who caught my recent posting about my younger daughter’s act of gross disloyalty – falling in love with a Mag – will be pleased to learn that the fashion designs chosen for this picture prove how well Pete (H) has dealt witha similar family crisis – elder daughter in his case, seriously aggravated by the fact she is Sunderland mad while mine, sadly, is not.
“If you ever need any advice on how to deal with a Mag boyfriend, I’m your enthusiastic unpaid advisor,” grandad assures me.
This last photograph shows Dominic’s mum Clare (left, with Clare’s sister, Emma, at the SoL), attempting to explain her husband’s affliction.